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DARPA Sets Contest Prize for New Amphibious Combat Vehicle

Attempting to create a new procurement process for the 21st century, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launches the FANG challenge to develop Fast Adaptable Next-Generation (FANG) ground vehicle. Prizes and challenge contests replace Request for Proposals and drawn-out contract negotiations, enabled by new collaborative tools.

“Current approaches to the development of defense systems and vehicles have proven inadequate for the timely delivery of much needed capability for the warfighter,” states the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in documentation describing the rationale behind the new program. The basic idea is for competitors in a $1M contest—yes,contest—to use modeling and development tools provided by DARPA to create their designs. These tools are in its VehicleFORGE collaboration environment. These include CAD design tools and manufacturing modeling libraries.

The resulting vehicle will mirror the requirements of the new Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV.) The Marines will evaluate the DARPA FANG vehicle with a prototype developed in the traditional process.

Prospective contestants are now open to enroll in the first of three challenges. Challenge One will go from early 2013 through mid-2013 and focuses on designing the vehicle drive train. The winner will pocket a cool $1M. Challenge Two focuses on the chassis and structure and will be open from late 2013 to early 2014. The final Challenge Three will run from mid-2104 to early 2015 and focuses on the full vehicle; winners will take home $2M for this effort. (Source: DARPA)

According to Desktop Engineering (10/5, Albright) “GE and MIT are building the crowdsourcing/collaboration platform, and engineering consultancy Ricardo is running the competitions.”

In related reporting, the Business Insider (10/19, Davies) “Entries are scored by an online feedback system.Those turned in early can be scored, revised, and resubmitted. Registration for the first of the three challenges, open only to US citizens and lawful residents, is now open. … The winning entry of each round will be built in the iFAB Foundry, a DARPA manufacturing network.”